Juega por Jesús

I looked out over the beautiful land of Costa Rica as the plane approached the landing strip. I had spent the flights attempting to get my journal up to date, brushing up on my Spanish, and my favorite part of flying, chatting with the strangers I’m “randomly” selected to sit beside. As I boarded my final flight from Houston to San Jose, I was delighted to look up and see the familiar faces of a family that I knew from La Fortuna. They had spent some time visiting people from camp in North Carolina and Kentucky, and we just so happened to be sharing a flight back to Costa Rica. Once our plane landed, I was eager to officially hold a conversation with them, only to realize I hadn’t quite spent enough time brushing up on my Spanish during the flight! Of course, that didn’t interfere with their warm welcome back to their homeland. After a brief conversation, I made my way to my meeting point with Jeff and some of our other friends that were picking me up from the airport. 

Within hours of the plane landing, I was reminded of my love for the culture. We were able to spend the first few days preparing for the team to arrive, as well as simply fellowshipping with friends. I was able to reconnect with the soccer team and within a few days, my Spanish was resurfacing. One of my favorite parts about Costa Rica is the culture; the community, the simplicity, the mutual and genuine love and happiness that seems to float around so very freely.  I didn’t know it was possible, but I was feeling an even greater welcome than the trip before. I was told “Welcome home” on more than one occasion. 

Leading up to the trip, I had been praying about preparing devotionals for our team. There are so many aspects that I’ve found I thoroughly enjoy about leading a team, but watching a devotional series for the week come together, create conversation, and provoke deeper thought for the team throughout the week is certainly amongst my favorites. Prior to flying out for the trip, God had given me pieces of what this devotional series was to contain, but they weren’t going together, at least not in my head. After arriving at camp, I spent some time writing these things out, rereading the scripture, and eventually it was right there in front of me. God revealed it to me, connecting the exact same pieces I had been juggling for weeks, in his perfect timing. In addition to visiting with friends, completing the devotional series, and ordering supplies for the house repairs, we were able to rent a car and drive up to spend two days in Media Queso, the village that we were in with the March team. My excitement grew as we reached the part of the drive where you turn off of the somewhat smooth, paved road onto the incredibly bumpy, gravel and dirt road that leads to the village.

About a half an hour later, we arrived at the church where we were greeted with open arms, even in our unannounced visit. The first person we saw was the Pastor’s wife, Gloria, from the church there. Her smile grew as we walked quickly, so much so that it was evident she remembered us. Another man that I recognized from March then walked us up to Pastor Miquel, who was busy at work with a group of twelve or so people. He stopped what he was doing to come greet us, and before inviting us to jump into the work with them, explained that an organization was there installing a large water tank, piping, and water meters, that would supply water to nearly 150 homes in the village. How amazing! The piece that this group was currently working on was completing the steel tower for the water tank to sit on. Long story short, after two failed attempts of using man-power in raising the steel sides into place to then be welded, some rope was utilized in tying one side at a time to a pick-up truck for an extra boost! I know I said I’d keep it as a short story, but I have to briefly attempt to bring at least a fraction of the joy from the image of this scenario that I still carry in my head. Before the decision to use the truck about twelve of us were on duty to lift the structure. Two ropes were tied onto the top beam, one pulled around a tree in either direction with someone holding the end of the rope, as if that would steady it IF we got in to ninety degrees. On the count of three, we began to push the structure up and got it over our heads. As the twelve of us, including Jeff and I, realized it wasn’t going any further, the other ten people began speaking to each other in a panic, much too fast for either Jeff or I to even catch a single word! I couldn’t help but laugh, as I continued to remind myself of what I had been told by Pastor Miquel; “If it starts to fall, run!”. Thankfully we were able to gently lay the structure down, so I didn’t quite have to make a break for it. Looking back on this story, other than the chaos, I also see that exact sense of community that I mentioned earlier. Did this group of people have to work on getting this water tank up? No. In fact, they each probably had other jobs to tend to that would result in some income. However, this water tank was made a priority, because it benefited the villagers, it benefited their friends and their families. Just another example of how these trips always seem to change me and change my heart for those around me. Community is valued. 

We spent the next two days painting the inside of the church. Actually, I should say Jeff and Pastor Miquel spent the next two days painting the inside of the church. I have to admit, I kind of used the excuse of painting the church and restocking some first-aid supplies, in hopes of reuniting with the kiddos I had bonded with in March. Within minutes, literally minutes, of starting to prepare the walls inside the church, those same boys began to file in one by one. Just as my experience in March, when I was working, they were working right by my side. When I set the cinderblock down, that we used to sand the walls, or the paint brush, so did they. They also knew exactly what that meant, so they would run for the soccer ball and head outside to play for a while. At one point, we ran out of paint, which meant Jeff or I would have to go into town to pick up a few more gallons. Originally, I figured I should let Jeff go, so that I could stay behind and play with the kids. As we looked around, we realized that there were three boys there helping, three boys that could fit in the backseat of the car and help me out on the mission to get more paint. In giving one of my little buddies the option to go to town or stay and play, he was quick to choose a quick adventure to town. After asking permission from pastor Miquel and inviting his friends, we jumped into the car, and to much surprise, Gloria hopped in the passenger seat too! 

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I did my best to utilize and grow my Spanish in conversation on the thirty-minute drive out, but when the conversation would break we all listened to the Spanish worship playlist I’ve been listening to on my phone over the past few months. I knew when a familiar one would come on, because all four of them would be singing along quietly. We finally made it into town and swung by the hardware store, before stopping for a quick soda or ice cream, and then heading back down the dirt road. This time, I turned the conversation to them and asked the boys to tell me what they knew in English, which consisted of a few animals, plants, and numbers. We all laughed together in teaching each other new words as we drove by things such as fences, pineapples, trees, and birds. As we got back to the camp, Gloria thanked me many times, and the boys were still wearing the same grins they had on when we jumped in the car. In that trip, I realized how rare it probably is for them to leave the village, especially for a visit to the hardware store. As I ordered the paint, the three boys gazed around at the many options hanging on the walls or sitting on the shelves. I realized how much I take for granted with the conveniences here in the States. If something isn’t on hand, I drive twenty minutes to the store without the slightest hesitation. What we see as an inconvenience, they experience as joy in simplicity. 

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In March, as we prepared to leave, I handed Pastor Miquel the soccer ball that we had played with over the course of three days. One of the boys, Joel, was quick to run up to me and asked if he could have the ball instead. Joel is one of the boys that hardly left my side over those three days and also one of the two that had so selflessly given me a bag of Churros. I explained to him that we were going to leave it with the pastor, so that everyone could share it. Tears filled his eyes as he responded in telling me that he lived too far away to come and use that ball. My heart broke in not being able to do something as simple as give this little boy a soccer ball. Over these trips, God has laid it on my heart that the best gift we can share is his love and that that doesn’t always look like a material gift. In fact, it’s often masked by a material gift, such as a soccer ball.  However, knowing that I would be returning on this trip, I came prepared with six soccer balls to leave in the village. In an attempt to avoid them merely being a materialistic gift, and also in an attempt to begin building the bridge between the relationships I am forming with these kids, and my faith, I wrote a multitude of words on every open space on the ball; words such as love, perseverance, strength, faith, joy, so on and so forth, as well as one phrase that read, “Play for Jesus”. As I handed the balls to the boys, having just enough for the kids that were present at this time, including Joel, I asked them to first read the words. They grinned as they read the words out loud to me and I briefly explained that these things were very important, most of all, pointing out the one that read, “Juega por Jesús”. The boys each thanked me with a hug before heading out in different directions. There it was – the mutual and genuine love and happiness that seems to float around so freely. 

~Community – Simplicity – Genuine love and happiness ~

During our visit to Media Queso, I was reassured that a piece of my heart was still there and driving away that day, I knew that I had left behind an even greater chunk than the first time.